*Disclaimer! I don't own Kuroshitsuji.


William POV

After doing the morning's paper work, I get up and head out. It's about 8 AM, so if Grell is going to show up, he may be here. I pick up the finished files and head to his office so he can go and submit them. I walk down the spacious halls, passing people on the way. I would have kept going when I overhear some recruits talking.

"Did you see the freak?"

"Oh, gosh, I know, right?"

"He's so annoying…."

"Not to mention useless!"

The voices of the recruits are quiet, but not enough. I quickly interrupt with "Don't you three have somewhere to be?". They frantically nod when they see me, and turn and take off to whatever jobs they had to do. Shaking my head, I keep on walking. The words stuck in my head… and the looks they gave me made me wonder….

Could they be talking about Grell? It was plausible. Oh, well. People talked like that all the time, and Grell never really paid attention. And when he did, there was hell to pay. Grell wasn't a forgiving person most of the time.

I walk into the hall where his office is, when I run into no other than Ronald Knox.

"Hey, Knox, have you seen Grell?" I ask the younger man. He shakes his head.

"He might have another stomach ache… or so he claims." Ronald shrugs. "You can try his office, but I've knocked a few times, and no one answered. And I'm not walking in. Last time I went in without knocking… Grell wasn't happy." He shudders, and I roll my eyes and begin to walk away.

When something hits me and I pause, turning to look back at him. "… Stomach ache?" Now that was more of a reason for him not to come to work. If there was illness among the workers, I must know. Ronald shrugs again.

"Well… he doesn't eat at times, saying his stomach isn't feeling great, but I have a feeling that he just doesn't want to eat, you know?" Ronald looks a bit upset, and I continue stare back.

"What do you mean?"

"Well… he just doesn't eat. Then he eats… a lot…."

I raise my eyebrows, but he doesn't see, for he has taken to staring at the floor and continues on.

"… I try to ask what was wrong, if he was sick, but he always changes the subject. Every time I ask him certain questions sometimes, it looks like it bothers him and he closes up. Or he laughs at me and pretends everything's fine… but the look on his face…"Ronald suddenly looks uncomfortable, so I decide to drop the subject.

"Thank you, Knox, you can continue on with your work." I head into Grell's office.